Leafs trade Gunnarsson to Blues for stay-at-home defenceman Polak

PHILADELPHIA – The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded defenceman Carl Gunnarsson to the St. Louis Blues for Roman Polak.

The Leafs also sent the 94th pick in Saturday's NHL draft to St. Louis in the deal.

Polak, a 28-year-old right-handed defenceman, fills a need Toronto had for a stay-at-home defenceman. Breakdowns contributed to an eight-game losing streak near the end of the season that tanked the Leafs' playoff hopes.

The Czech native has 79 points in 424 games of NHL experience.

Gunnarsson, a 2007 seventh-rounder, had spent five seasons with the Leafs.